Mikel out Kongdogbia in?

18 June 2013 10:49

With John Obi Mikel apparently heading towards Turkey in the summer, following his participation in the Confederations Cup with Nigeria, thoughts naturally turn to who would replace him - if anyone.

The holding midfielder is one of a select few to have survived at SW6 since Jose Mourinho was last at Chelsea. He was signed in 2006 in controversial circumstances having moved from Lyn in Norway with Manchester United claiming that he was their player.

Eventually a few quid was bunged up the M6 to Manchester and all was well once more.With more than 160 appearances for the Blues under his belt, it's no surprise that, at just 26, he is in demand.But like most of the Chelsea players, Mikel will wait on a meeting with Mourinho on July 10 to see if he figures in the manager's plans.Chelsea still have Frank Lampard and Oriel Romeu in their ranks who can play in the defensive midfield position and a host of youngsters either on loan or coming through the ranks who could, at a pinch, But suggestions that Chelsea would return for former midfielder Nemanja Matic must surly be way off the mark.The Blues are reported to be interested in asking Benfica for the player who they used as a makeweight to a deal which brought David Luiz to Stamford Bridge in January 2011.A bizarre £38m has been mentioned in dispatches. I can't see there being any legs in that particular story.One interesting proposition could be Sevilla's France midfielder Geoffrey Kongdogbia.The Blues have being scouting the 20-year-old for quite some time.The athletic left-footer has yet to make a full international cap, and there are concerns about his off-field activities and his somewhat laissez-faire (as the French might say) attitude to training.Sevilla are a selling club at the moment and desperate for Euros. A bid of around £10m might test the new-fangled Mourinho/Emenalo relationship.